Dicentra Plant Named &#39;AMORE PINK&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Dicentra  plant characterized by its soft, feathery blue green foliage, a compact habit, medium large silver pink flowers on short flower stalks, repeat blooming, and good vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Dicentra hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Amore Pink’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dicentra, of the family Fumariaceae, known by the cultivar name, ‘Amore Pink’. This plant originated from planned cross. The seed parent is Dicentra ‘Burning Hearts’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,797, and the pollen parent was a proprietary unreleased Dicentra hybrid seedling (Dicentra peregrina×(D. formosa subsp. oregana×D. eximia)). This seedling selection stood out with its unique characteristics.

This new cultivar is uniquely characterized by:

-   -   1. soft, feathery blue green foliage,     -   2. a compact habit,     -   3. medium large silver pink flowers on short flower stalks,     -   4. repeat blooming over a long season,     -   5. good vigor.

Compared to the seed parent, Dicentra ‘Burning Hearts’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,797, the new cultivar a bigger habit, bigger and greener leaves, and silver pink rather than dark burgundy flowers.

Compared to the pollen parent the new cultivar has better foliage color, habit and a distinctive flower color.

Compared to Dicentra ‘Candy Hearts’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,692, the new cultivar has a bigger habit, bigger and greener leaves, and silver pink rather than pink flowers.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation. Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an eighteen-month-old Dicentra ‘Amore Pink’ in the trial bed in April in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the same plant.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Dicentra cultivar based on observations of 9-month-old specimens grown in a cool greenhouse in gallon containers in May in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—clumping rosette.         -   # crowns.—3 to 4.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 5.         -   Size.—foliage grows to 13 cm tall to top of foliage and 36             cm wide.         -   Vigor.—excellent. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—ternately compound.         -   Arrangement.—rosette.         -   Shape.—broadly ovate to triangular in outline, leaflets             usually ovate in outline.         -   Lobing/division.—17 to 30 leaflets per leaf, leaflets lobed             and tip acute.         -   Venation.—pinnate.         -   Blade size.—grows to 13 cm long and 13 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—glabrous.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 10 cm long and 2.5 mm wide,             base clasping, Green N38B blending to base where tinted             Greyed Orange 174A.         -   Leaf color.—young leaves (including veins) top side closest             to Green N138B, bottom side N138B; older leaves (including             veins) topside closest to Green N138A, bottom side N138B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—scapose panicle.         -   Number of flowers.—about 17 per panicle, increasing with             older plants.         -   Number of panicles in first spring flush.—1 to 4.         -   Peduncle description.—grows 19 cm to 25 cm long and 2.5 mm             wide, glabrous, Yellow Green 144A tinted Greyed Orange 174A.         -   Pedicel description.—5 mm to 7 mm long, 2 mm wide, Yellow             Green 144A Bloom period — April to June in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—22 mm long and 11 mm wide at the widest point prior to             opening.         -   Description.—oblong with the base wider than the tip and             heart-shaped.         -   Color.—Purple 76C. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—zygomorphic.         -   Corolla description.—pendulous, heart-shaped on bottom half,             laterally compressed, 4 petals in 2 opposed pairs; outer             petal pair pouched at the base forming the heart shape,             reflexed on top ⅓ and cupped at tip, 16 mm long and             spreading 20 mm wide on top, margins entire, tip acute,             glabrous inside and out; outside color Purple 76C with             Purple 75C on bottom edges, inside color Purple 76D on             bottom ¾ and Violet 84B on top ¼ where cupped; inner petal             pair tongue shaped and connected at the tip, 18 mm long and             to 3 mm wide, with convex inner face and crested apex;             margins entire, tip apiculate; inside Purple 76C on bottom             ⅓, 76D on middle ⅓, and Violet 86A on top ⅓; outside Violet             84A lightening to Purple 76B on sides.         -   Calyx description.—2 sepals, 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, ovate,             tip attenuate, margin entire, glabrous and Purple 76D inside             and out.         -   Pistil description.—one, linear and 17 mm long, Yellow Green             147 tinted Greyed Orange 177B overall, ovary 7 mm long and             1.5 mm wide, style 9.5 mm long, stigma is arrow-shaped, 0.5             mm wide.         -   Stamen description.—2 in number, compound with 3 partially             fused sections in each inner petal, 18 mm long, filaments 17             mm long and to 3 mm wide, Red Purple 69D, anthers 2 in six             sections, 1 mm long, ovoid, Green Yellow 1D, pollen Yellow             11D.         -   Fragrance.—slight, sweet.         -   Lastingness.—A raceme blooms for about 4 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit and seed: None seen -   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the     genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have     been found in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct form of Dicentra plant as hereby illustrated and described. 